'La Posada Magica' tells a tale about tradition, grief and rediscovering the Christmas spirit.

The story of Joseph and Mary’s struggle to find a room to give birth to Jesus takes place on their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. This Christmas season, a retelling of that story is set in the Salinas community of Alisal.

Posadas are a Christian Mexican and Mexican-American celebration that recreates the story, ending with a party featuring fruit punch, food and piñatas. La Posada Magica draws from that tradition for the stage. The play narrates the story of Gracie, who is grieving the loss of her younger brother, and posaderos, or pilgrims, who are celebrating a posada on Christmas Eve with music, candles and chocolate.

The original script by Octavio Solis is mostly in English with a sprinkle of Spanish, and Marcos Loya composed the music. The team at Salinas nonprofit Artists Ink made some adaptations to bring it home so locals could relate to it. “I wanted to be able to produce a show that would allow us to bring the essence of the community into it,” says Emily Morales, executive director of Artists Ink. (She got the green light from Solis to adapt it to Salinas.)

Artists Ink partnered with Alisal High School’s drama department for this production.

La Posada Magica is a community production with a mix of professional and amateur artists. Mario Cortez is the musical director and plays Horacio, one of the main characters. He added some spice to the songs, including “Chocolate,” in a scene of posaderos fighting over a treat. “We made it a little more eerie, more mysterious, and we added a cumbia flavor to it,” he says.

The musical takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster of sadness, humor, pessimism – and hope. “[It shows] how the power of a community can help us come out of those dark spaces and can really uplift not just one person, but all of us together if we are united,” Morales says.

For some cast members, it’s rooting them not just in community, but broader tradition. “I didn’t even know what a posada really was beforehand,” says Adbi Kuri, a 17-year-old Alisal High student who plays Gracie.

The story has sad scenes, but Cortez says it returns to a hopeful message: “Find those moments of light we need in times of darkness, especially when we’re celebrating a joyous time.”

LA POSADA MAGICA runs through Sunday, Dec. 17 at Alisal High School theater, 777 Williams Road, Salinas. 7pm Friday-Saturday, 1pm Saturday-Sunday shows. Free; donate for preferred seating. artistsink.org/lpm2023.